Pressing machine



3 Sheets-Sheet l A. F. HANNEY PRESSING MACHINEV Filed March 15, 1957April l1, 1939.

April 1l, 1939.

A. F. HANNEY PRESS ING MACHINE Filed March l5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENToR Gus F. HANNEY April 11, 1939. A. F. HANNEY PRESS ING MACHINEFiled March 15 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5`

FIG. 5a,

INVENToR ANGUS F. HANNEY l IW ATTRESE I l l Patented Apr. 11, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSING MACHINE Application March 15, 1937,Serial No. 130,962

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pressing machines and moreparticularly to such machines used for pressing garments and launderedarticles.

Among the novel features of my invention is the provision of head andbed pressing members closed by power means and in which both of thepressing members and the essential parts of the power means are mountedon a portion of the frame so as to be swung away from the main or baseportion of the frame, providing for easier assembly of new machines andeasier repair of old machines.

Another feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the powermeans for causing press closure in very compact form with a minimumnumber of parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pressing machine forgarments so that certain portions thereof may be pressed without mussingother parts of the garment. To this end the pressing bed and thesupporting table thereunder are formed in such a manner as to allow thegarment to hang smoothly when draped upon the pressing bed. Contributingto the same end the control members for the press closing power meansare arranged in a novel manner on brackets above the pressing members.

Another novel feature of the invention is the provision of spring meansfor opening the press and a novel relationship of the spring connectionwith the power means which operates the press, whereby the spring isplaced in position to cause an initial opening movement of the pressinghead.

Another feature of the invention is the novel connection of a motor withthe head lever and with a toggle also connected with the head leverwhereby the power means exerts a double effect, one acting directly onthe head lever to move it toward closed position and the other acting onthe toggle links to move the latter in toggle straightening direction,thus providing the final squeeze when the pressing members engage.

My invention also resides in the novel features disclosed in thedrawings and described in the specication, and the essential features ofwhich will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is' a front elevation of my improved pressingmachine showing in dashdot lines a shirt dressed on the pressing bed;Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the machine in open position with certain parts broken awayto more clearly show the construction, the pressing head being shown bydash-dot lines in safe closed position; Fig. 3a. is a diagrammatic viewoi the control mechanism corresponding to the open l position of thepress in Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 4-4of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an elevational View similar to Fig. 8 showing thepress closed; Fig. 5a is a diagrammatic View of the control mechanismcorresponding to the position of the press shown in Fig. 5; while Fig. 6is a side elevation of the machine with the main parts thereof swungaway from the base portion of the frame.

I have illustrated one form of my pressing machine as embodying a framehaving a base portion Ill and a movable table portion I I hinged at I2to the portion I0 so that the table II may be swung from the position ofFig. 3 or 5 to the position of Fig. 6. The movable portion II carriesthe pressing head and bed, the control mechanism and the power means,and when in the position of Fig. 6 all of these parts are more readilyassembled on a new machine or more easily repaired in the case of an oldmachine.

While I have shown my invention applied to a press in which both thehead and bed are movable, it will be understood that certain featuresare applicable to a machine in which only one of the pressing members ismovable. In the present instance the pressing bed I3 has a downwardlyextending sleeve I4 which embraces the cylindriy cal portion I5a of themember l5 which is secured to the table II and forms with the portion IIa of the table a servo-motor having a piston I6 secured to the sleeve I4and arranged to be engaged and lifted by a diaphragm I'I beneath whichpressure 'iiuid is supplied. A spring I8 biases the piston downwardly. Apin I9 prevents turning'of the bed during its vertical movement.

The head is secured at one end of the head lever 2l which is pivotallymounted at 22 intermediate its ends. The mounting 22 is between thebearing brackets 23 which are carried by the table II. These bracketshave forwardly extending stiiiening webs 24 and laterally extendingflanges 25 which are also connected to the rear edge of table II andform flanges for carrying the brackets which support the controlmechanism. Flange plates 26 secure the steam connections 21 in place andsuitable conduits 28 and 29 conduct steam to the pressing head. Otherconduits 30 carry steam to the pressing bed.

The power means for operating the pressing head comprises a cylinder andpiston motor 3,I carried by the table II. The cylinder 3Ia is pivotallymounted at 32 on a pin carried by the `55 brackets 33 which are aportion of the table II. The piston 3|b is pivotally connected at 34with a crank arm 35 which is rigidly fastened to a pin or shaft 36rotatably mounted in the lower end of lever 2 I. A toggle comprising thelinks 31 and 38 connected together at the knuckle 39 is pivotallyconnected at the forward end by pin 32 to the frame and at the rear endby pin 36 to the head. lever. In effect the cranks 35 and 31 form abellcrank so that movement of crank 35 counterclockwise upon operationof motor 3l tends to move the toggle towards straightened position.' Atthe same time the piston 3IbI exerts a direct rearward thrust on thelower arm of lever 2| to cause a rapid movement of the head 20 towardclosed position. By having the crank arm 35 extending toward the pivot22 the point 34 travels along very nearly a straight path during theoperation of motor 3|. This is due to the fact that point 36 describesan arc downwardly, while point 34 describes an arc upwardly about thepoint 36. Thus the resultant path of point 34 is very nearly in astraight line and reduces the wear of the piston in the cylinder ofmotor 3|.

The movement of the head lever toward open position is limited by stopmember 40 and the movement of the toggle as it reaches and passesslightly beyond straightened position as shown in Fig. 5 is limited bythe shoulders 38 engaging a. stop member 4|.

A spring 42 biases the head lever in open position. A very advantageousarrangement of this spring is provided by arranging a long spring withinthe base portion I0 of the frame having its lower end secured by aT-bolt 43 removably beneath a bracket 44 and having its upper endconnected by a flexible member such as the chain 45 with a crank arm 46rigid with pin 36. The chain passes over a sprocket 41 which isrotatably mounted on shaft 32. With this arrangement of the spring itexerts a direct pull on pin 36 when the head is open as shown in Fig. 3.The relationship between arms 35 and 46 is such that when the head ismoved to closed position as shown in Fig. 5, the arm 46 is moved throughsubstantially 45, stressing spring 42 and at the same time providingaturning moment of the spring'force about the point'36. It results fromthis arrangement of the parts that when the power means is released atthe close of a pressing operation, the spring swings the link 31 of thetoggle in Ytoggle breaking direction, thus moving the toggle' from itsover-center position of Fig. 5.

A link 48 connects the toggle knuckle with a snubber mechanism 49located in the baseV of the machine so as to properly snub both theopening and closing movements of the press. The control mechanism, asbest seen in Figs. 3a and 5a, cornprses valve casings 58 and 5Iconnected in series with a source of pressure fluid 52 and connected byconduit 53 with motor 3|. Casing 50 houses a normally closed inlet valvea actuated by a manual 58h. Casing 5I houses a normally closed inletvalve 5Ia and a normally open outlet valve 5|b, both on a common stemand operated by manual 5| c. Conduit 54 connects the two valve casingsin series. The power supply for servomotor |6-I1 comprises conduit 55,valve casing 56 and conduit 51. Casing 56 houses a normally closed inletvalve 56a. and a normally open outlet valve 56h mounted on a common stemand operated by manual 56e. Slidable along manual 56e is a detent 58spring pressed toward the right as shown in Fig. 3a by spring 58a andadapted to engage beneath a portion 59 of the frame. When manual 56C isdepressed as shown in Fig. 5a the detent 58 engages frame portion 59 andholds the manual in its operated position. Upward movement of manual 56emoves the detent backwards because of the rounded nose thereof.

In order that laundered articles, such as shirts, coats and the like,may be pressed without mussing other portions of the garments, I haveformed the frame and the work table or guard 60 so as to provide asmooth curve convex toward the o-perator as shown at 66a, Fig. 2 andhave arranged all other parts of the mechanism so that nothingprojectsat the front portion of the machine to disturb a garment depending fromthe pressing bed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For accomplishing thispurpose and also because it is a convenient location, I have mounted thecontrol members for the power means above the pressing members onbrackets 6l and 62. These brackets are bolted to the flange portions 25of the table and extended at the rear of the press upwardly and thenforwardly. In bracket 6I is mounted the control member 5|c. In bracket62 are mounted control members 56h and 56o. The control members 5019`and 5 I c are spaced apart greater than the span of the operators handso that two hands must be used to supply power'to motor 3 I. The manual56o is close to the manual 50h so as to be actuated by the same hand ofthe operator.

The operation of the press is as follows: With the press open, a garmentis dressed on'the pressing bed I3 and manuals 50h and 5|c are depressed.This supplies pressure fluid from source 52 through valve casing 50,conduit 54, casing 5|, conduit 53 to the forward end of cylinder 3h21Iwhich drives the piston and piston rod 3|?) rearwardly. The head leveris moved in a clockwise direction through the force of the piston actingby way of arm 35 on pin 36. At the same time rotary movement in acounterclockwise direction is provided of cranks 35 and 31 moving thetoggle finally to the position of Fig. 5, at which time the pressinghead is in safe closed position as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig.3. At this time the operator depresses manual 56e, supplying pressurefluid from source 52 through conduit 55, casing 56 and conduit 51beneath diaphragm I1. This causes the piston I6 and bed I3 to be raisedinto contact with the head. This pressure of the bed against the headholds the toggle in the locked position of Fig. 5 and motor 3| may beevacuated by releasing manuals 50h and 5|c. The press remains closeduntil manual 56e is raised to the position of Fig. 3a, cutting off thesupply of fluid beneath diaphragm I1. At such time spring'42 in theposition of Fig. 5 will cause rotation of crank 46 and link 31 in aclockwise direction, breaking the toggle and permitting spring 42 tocomplete the opening of the press.

Two presses of the type described may be connected for tandem operationby providing a small servomotor 63 at each press in position to engagean arm 56d rigid with manual 56o. A conduit 64 is then extended from theservomotor at one press to a valve casing 65 at the other press. Valvecasing 65 contains a normally closed inlet valve 65a operable by amanual 65h. The casing is supplied with pressure uid through a conduit66. Preferably the manual 65h is mounted in bracket 6| alongside manual5Ic. Thus with press B in closed position the controls thereof will bein position corresponding to Fig. 5a. The operator at press A thendepresses manual 5511` admitting pressure uid from source 52 throughconduit 66, casing 65 and conduit 64 to the servomotor 63 at press B,moving manual 56e thereof upwardly to cause opening of press B in amanner previously described.

It will be noted from Fig. 6 that by releasing the T-bolt 43 from thebracket 44 and by disconnecting link i8 from the snubber, table l I maybe pivoted rearwardly about the point I2 carrying the pressing members,the power means and the control mechanism to the position of Fig. 6 forbetter access to these parts. A pair of links 61-58 may be connectedbetween the base portion I and the table portion Il to limit thisswinging movement of the table Il.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressing machine, a frame, upper and lower coacting pressingmembers mounted thereon for relative approach and separating movement ofsaid upper member relative to said lower member, power means for causingsaid relative movement, and a control member for said power meansmounted on a stationary portion of said frame above said pressingmembers.

2. In a laundry pressing machine, a frame, upper and lower coactingpressing members mounted thereon for approach and separating movement ofsaid upper pressing member relative to said lower member, power meansfor causing said relative movement, said frame having a stationarybracket portion extending over said pressing members, a table below thelower of said pressing members having its forward peripheral edge formedas a smooth curve convex toward the operator, and a control member forsaid power means mounted on said bracket portion.

3. In a pressing machine, a frame having a table portion pivotallymounted on a base portion, a pressing bed mounted on said table portion,a lever pivotally mounted/intermediate its ends at the rear of saidtable portion, a pressing head at one end of said lever and movablethereby toward and from said bed, and a fluid motor having cylinder andpiston members, one member connected with the other end of said leverand the other member carried on the lower face of said table portion,whereby when said table portion is moved about its pivot said motor isexposed for inspection and repairs.

4. In a pressing machine having coacting head and bed pressing members,a frame having a table portion pivotally mounted on a base portion,power means for causing pressing action between said pressing members,and said power means being mounted on the lower face of said tableportion, whereby when said table portion is moved about its pivot saidpower means is exposed for inspection and repairs.

5. In a pressing machine, a frame having a table portion, a pressing bedmounted on the upper face of said table portion, a lever pivotallymounted intermediate its ends on said table portion, a pressing head atone end of said lever and movable by lever oscillation toward and fromsaid bed, the other end of said lever extending below said tableportion, a toggle connected between said other end of said lever andsaid table portion, said toggle when straightened to move said headadjacent said bed being substantially parallel to said table portion, acrank arm rigid with one of the members of said toggle, a uid motorhaving cylinder and piston members, one member connected with said crankarm and the other member carried on the lower face of said tableportion, and said motor having a power stroke substantially parallel tosaid table portion.

AN GUS F. HANNEY.

